Mourners gathered in Mitchell’s Plain on Wednesday evening for a memorial service held for the former mayor of Cape Town, Theresa Solomon. Solomon passed away peacefully in Cape Town surrounded by her family, last Monday, following a period of illness. She was 79-years-old.
COURTESY: Facebook - Randy PieterseMourners described her as an activist who loved Mitchells
Plain.
‘’She has embodied in her body in the way she moved, organized
and loved why we started the struggle for liberation and because of her embodiment
she would be able to resist when people said do wrong, as revolution is in her
being. Theresa could tell you with radical honesty where to get on and off
without undermining one’s dignity. Secondly, she understood what is meant by standing
in your personal power and even the way she dealt with her illness was in a way
that she decided that when I depart from the world, I must be remembered for a
change,’’ said Lucille Meyer, close friend to Solomon.
Friend, Jeremia Thuynsma, reflected on Solomon always being
there for the community.
‘’She was available for the community every minute of the
day even at the expense of the family… She took that spirit of always being
available into becoming a councillor, and a mayor. There was no such thing as making
an appointment with her.’’
Former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel was among the people
who came to celebrate Solomon’s life. He says Solomon tackled everything with
love and respect.
Deputy Cape Town Mayor, Eddie Andrews, described Solomon as
‘a leader whose quiet strength and fierce dedication left a lasting impact on
our city.’
‘’One phrase she was known to say resonated with me: “Mitchell’s
Plain is my heartbeat. As a fellow child of Mitchell’s Plain, I felt those
words deeply. They reflected a lifetime of service rooted in love for community
and justice. Aunty Theresa stood firm when it mattered most. Her legacy lives
on in the many lives she touched, and in the example she set for public service
with integrity and compassion.’’
Solomon will be laid to rest on Saturday at the Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church in Lansdowne, at 10a.m
Done By: Mitchum George
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